DRINKING WATER
Case Study: Groundwater DWTP (AK) - DEXSORB Full-Scale
A DWTP client in Alaska detected elevated PFAS contamination levels in two groundwater wells supplying drinking water to 85 service connections. PFAS concentrations are provided in Table 1, where combined concentration of EPA PFAS6 was detected at 490 to 810 ppt.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![4-Log Virus Inactivation - Abington, Pennsylvania (Case Study)]( "4-Log Virus Inactivation - Abington, Pennsylvania (Case Study)")
4-Log Virus Inactivation - Abington, Pennsylvania (Case Study)The Hall Road Well Station — located in Abington, Pennsylvania — is designed to extract and treat 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of water from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge crystalline-rock aquifers. It is part of a network of groundwater extraction wells owned and operated by Aqua-America Pennsylvania (Aqua PA). Aqua PA determined that UV technology was the best approach for meeting the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations for 4-log virus treatment of groundwater. This case study will show you why they chose the TrojanUVSwift™SC.
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![1286939960]( "Big Sky, Montana Water District Enhances Operations With Xylem")
Big Sky, Montana Water District Enhances Operations With XylemDiscover how smart technology helped a Montana utility advance leak detection and customer service goals.
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![mp-total-sensor]( "New Monochloramine Sensor Technology Measures Free Chlorine And Total Chlorine On The Same Sensor")
New Monochloramine Sensor Technology Measures Free Chlorine And Total Chlorine On The Same SensorTraditional chloramine monitoring methods have drawbacks that complicate water treatment. A new sensor can measure multiple parameters, offering operators better process control.
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![TIGG_Horsham-Air-National-Guard_Case-Study-1]( "PFOA/PFOS Stormwater Treatment")
PFOA/PFOS Stormwater TreatmentFollowing several years of piloting ion exchange resin for the removal of perfluorinated compounds, CKS Engineers needed to design and construct a full-scale system to treat the former military base stormwater runoff before entering Neshaminy Creek.
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Encore® 700 Chemical Feed Pump Provides Reliable Metering With Minimal Maintenance For Over A Decade At One Of New York's Largest Water Districts
Jericho Water District (JWD) is one of the largest water districts in New York, serving 58,000 people through 18,604 residential and commercial service connections on Long Island.
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![Mag-Meters-and-Flow-Straighteners-blog-image-450x300]( "Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Flow Straighteners, And Vanes: Compatible Or Not?")
Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Flow Straighteners, And Vanes: Compatible Or Not?Those familiar with propeller flow meters are usually familiar with their common counterparts, flow straighteners and vanes. Implemented to reduce swirl in shorter straight-run applications, straighteners are a complementary instrument for agriculture, irrigation, and municipal flow measurement applications.
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![ConnectionsPD02.jpg]( "Restrained Pipeline Design And Horizontal Bends")
Restrained Pipeline Design And Horizontal BendsIn the last forty years, a quiet revolution has occurred in our industry. This revolution is the result of new generations of joint restraint products that make it possible to quickly and safely restrain fittings at bends, dead ends, tees, valves, and reducers without the need for concrete thrust blocks or tie rods. These joint restraint products turn the pipeline into its own thrust block. The key to utilizing these new products is the understanding and proper application of the pipeline restraint design theory.
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![vDMA_white-paper_image]( "Optimizing Leak Detection Using Virtual District Metering Areas (vDMAs)")
Optimizing Leak Detection Using Virtual District Metering Areas (vDMAs)Today, progressive utilities are using digital technologies to create virtual district metering areas (vDMAs), eliminating the limitations of the physical DMA by utilizing data to provide actionable insights into the condition of their networks.
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Game-Changing Technology For PFAS Reduction
Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the shortest and strongest chemical bonds, PFAS are a persistent problem once introduced into the environment. Activated carbon (AC) and ion exchange resin (IX) are two of the commonly used technologies to remove PFAS from groundwater and surface water.
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![kemio-for-copper]( "Why Does Copper Contamination Cause A Risk To Community Health? And How Can It Be Tackled?")
Why Does Copper Contamination Cause A Risk To Community Health? And How Can It Be Tackled?The human body needs small quantities of copper to function. But as well as being a nutrient, copper can also be harmful if consumed in large quantities.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Reducing And Reusing Water In Steel Manufacturing2/28/2022
The art of manufacturing steel for industries is well over 100 years old. Within this time, the steel business has fulfilled consumer needs, including construction, transportation, and manufacturing. The steel manufacturing process is quite intensive as it requires a lot of water to cool down the application. Steel plants constantly look for strategies that can help sustain the steel for a longer time by efficiently improving water and energy consumption.
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Free Chlorine Measurement In Drinking Water Treatment12/21/2005
Before water can be used as a safe and reliable source for drinking water, it must be properly treated. Since water is a universal solvent, it comes in contact with several different pathogens, some of which are potentially lethal, and inactivation is accomplished through chemical disinfection and mechanical filtration treatment. This treatment consists of coarse filtration to remove large objects and pre-treatment which includes disinfection using chlorine or ozone
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LC-MS Analysis Of PFAS Compounds In EPA 533 After Supelclean™ ENVI-WAX SPE Cleanup8/29/2022
This application note demonstrates the extraction and subsequent analysis of 25 related analytes from water using Supelco SPE cartridges.
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Temperature Monitoring For Water Treatment4/29/2024
Learn how to ensure compliance, monitor water temperature diligently, and implement robust measures to mitigate regulatory penalties.
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Optimization Of Water Treatment Using Zeta Potential5/27/2020
Drinking water in the US and developed nations of the world is treated to remove contamination of foreign materials, both mineral and organic.
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Flow Meter Enhances Chlorination System Performance For Municipal Water Department12/12/2017
The water municipality at a mid-size city in the Western region of the U.S. serving a population of about 180,000 people needed to address a chlorine disinfection system problem at one of its water treatment plants.
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Groundwater Remediation12/1/2020
Good quality groundwater is an important natural resource. It provides drinking water for the public as well as process water for industrial applications. Groundwater can become contaminated through a number of ways including improper handling of process chemicals or disposal of wastes.
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Best Practices In Moist And Wet Gas Flow12/20/2021
The Wet Gas MASSter sensor is for use in applications that have a high level of moisture or condensation present in the gas flow stream that cannot otherwise be removed.
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Application Note: Desalination Plants: YSI Instruments Monitor Flow & Water Quality At Multiple Stages2/3/2011Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water or brackish river or groundwater to make potable water. By YSI
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Panametrics Technology Helps Track Potable Water Leaks4/22/2022
Concerned about the volume of water leakages throughout their network, a Swedish water authority turned to Panametrics flowmeters to map their municipal water network -- enabling quick leak identification and fixes.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Endress+Hauser offers continuous level measurement and point level detection in liquids and bulk solids
The CO2 Feed System is a safe and effective way to adjust pH and minimize risk associated with dangerous mineral acids.
Loprest has been providing ion exchange treatment systems for the removal of arsenic, nitrate, perchlorate, hardness, fluoride and other contaminants for many decades.
Looking for a Skid Mounted Complete Metering System, but your equipment room is short on space? The New CHEM-FEED CFCS is engineered for small spaces. It features a compact design and small footprint. The skid is constructed of tough, lightweight chemical and UV-resistant polyethylene, and it ships fully assembled with all necessary components for easy install and fast startup. Wall or Shelf Mount. One or Two Pump Models.
The PTBT2 is a lab-accurate water quality pocket tester that allows you to use your mobile device and the X2 app to measure, store and export data.
TYTON JOINT® is U.S. Pipe’s trademark for pipe with a push-on type connection. Simplicity, sturdiness and watertightness are built into the system by design. Convincing proof of its worldwide acceptance is shown by the fact that more than 95% of the pipe now sold by U.S. Pipe is TYTON JOINT.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![snowystream-Getty-521971897]( "Winter's Alarmingly Low Snowpack Offers A Glimpse Of The Changing Rhythm Of Water In The Western U.S.")
The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve. But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient.
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![ColoradoRiverDam_Getty-1280300802]( "Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of Agreement")
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of AgreementThe five most common sources of conflict between people are values, data, relationships, interests, and structure. The current Colorado River negotiations include all five. -
![Water droplets, PFAS, Forever chemical water contamination-GettyImages-2173433890]( "Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies")
Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system?
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![Oil spill clean up-GettyImages-1369921282]( "The Future Of In Situ Chemical Oxidation For Targeted Solvent Destruction")
The U.S. EPA’s 2026 trichloroethylene (TCE) compliance deadlines are now forcing a concrete shift toward source-zone destruction. In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), sequenced with enhanced bioremediation, is proving to be the most credible path to groundwater contaminant rebound mitigation.
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![GettyImages-1365695094 water in hands]( "How Generative Design Can Help UK Utilities Justify PR29 Investment Cases")
Generative design strengthens PR29 investment cases by enabling rigorous optioneering, accurate cost estimates, and clear outcome alignment, helping water companies meet rising regulatory expectations.
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![money, dollars down the drain-GettyImages-157193934]( "Critical Infrastructure Fails The Way It's Funded")
Our infrastructure systems have operated in managed deterioration for decades. And not surprisingly, once they deteriorate badly enough and cross over into active failure, all cost discipline disappears.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
The Western Governors' Drought Forum webinar “Once Marginal, Now Crucial: The Growing Demand for Re-used, Produced, and Brackish Water” explores the technological and regulatory obstacles to utilizing re-used, produced, and brackish water.
In this episode of the Water Online Show, hosts Travis Kennedy and Kevin Westerling explore AI's transformative role in water utility operations with guest Dave Brown, Director of Maintenance at Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), which serves nearly a million customers across 682 square miles in Southern California.
Learn how a tool-free, verifiable locking system streamlines complex installations like deep-bore directional drilling and provides the security needed for critical infrastructure.
Get a closer look at how SIWA MDM Analytics Foundation transforms utility data into actionable insight.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.